The present invention generally relates to a method of electronic communication between a group of participants. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of automated electronic communication between a host database and a prospective participant that was referred to the database by a sponsor such that the host database shapes and tracks communication between the sponsor and the prospect.
Presently, electronic communication, such as email and active websites, is becoming an ever-increasingly popular method to communicate between two parties over a global computer network, such as the internet. Email allows a single individual, or host, to simultaneously and easily contact a large number of recipients to deliver either a common message or specialized messages to each of the individual recipients. Electronic commerce, or e-commerce websites allow individual consumers connected to the internet to remotely access the website and place an order for numerous types of goods and services. Although e-commerce websites are convenient and popular, these e-commerce websites face the common challenge of attracting prospective clients or customers to the website. One common method of attracting potential consumers is through the use of various types of advertising, either through conventional advertising channels or by placing electronic ads on popular websites that are accessed by a large number of people. Although on-line advertising provides a means to attract potential consumers, the e-commerce site has no way of contacting the prospective customer until the prospective customer positively acts to access the on-line e-commerce website.
Another current method of attracting potential prospects is through the use of generic email messages that are broadcast to a list of prospective customers oftentimes obtained from a direct marketer or other compiled list. This type of general broadcast email, often referred to as spam, oftentimes results in a negative reaction by the recipient of the message since the recipient realizes that they are being contacted by a some distant corporation that purchased the potential consumer's email address.
Yet another method of attracting potential consumers to an e-commerce website is through the use of a multi-level marketing (MLM) organization that includes sponsors that receive a monetary reward for successfully referring people to the host website. For example, some e-commerce websites grant a $1.00 reward to a sponsor for each prospect that was referred to the website by the sponsor. Further, many multi-level marketing organizations reward the sponsor with a percentage of the money spent by the prospect at the host's e-commerce website.
In a multi-level marketing organization, it is important for the sponsor to monitor their prospects in order to ensure that the prospects are kept happy and continue to visit the e-commerce website. However, many individual sponsors in multi-level marketing organizations either forget to contact their prospects, because of the large number of prospects referred by the sponsor or a lack of organization skills by the sponsor, fail to recognize that follow-up messages to their downstream prospects aid in spurring the prospect into further activity on the e-commerce website.
In addition to multi-level marketing organizations, many charitable and political organizations request their members to provide additional potential contacts that the charitable or political organization can contact in hopes of raising additional funding for the organization. Again, sponsors are often forgetful in following-up with the potential contacts, are uncomfortable with preparing the messages, or do not wish to spend the time required to prepare and compose follow-up letters and monitor the status of the relationship between the sponsor and the potential prospects.
Therefore, a need exists for an automated electronic communication system that assists the communication between a sponsor and a prospect. Further, a need exists for an automated electronic communication system in which a host database contacts a prospect through the sponsor such that the prospect receives the message from the sponsor rather than from than the host database. Another object of the present invention to provide a communication system in which the timing of the messages to a prospect is controlled by the host database and the host database prompts the sponsor to send personalized messages to the prospect. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a personalized website and messages to the prospect based on information received about the prospect from the sponsor. In this manner, the messages and the website seen by the prospect are tailored to personal interests and characteristics of the prospects, leading to a more effective marketing method.